My last 24 hours in Italy were spent in Milan. It's a decent city, but I'm glad we only spent one day there. Recap:
- We arrived on the coldest and rainiest day of our time there. I'm pretty sure it doesn't help much that Milan is really close to the Swiss Alps.
This is what I call proof that it's cold. - "The Last Supper" is housed somewhere in Milan. We weren't able to see it because, when we attempted to purchase tickets online (the only method available for buying them), they were sold out for the times that we were in the city. I wasn't too sad about it, especially since it cost about 40 euro to see a fading work of art.
- We stayed in an apartment from Air BnB. It was really nice and cute, though the owner wasn't there and his maid was really unhelpful, which made entering the room really difficult.
- We stayed down the street from the Duomo, which was lovely. The outside was far more spectacular than the inside, which seems to be the case with all these European cathedrals.
- I had tiramisu that tasted like chocolate cream pie. #fail
I can eat chocolate cream pie in the States. - We were only there one day and the weather was absolutely trashy, so we didn't really see much.
- My Last Supper: more penne all'arrabiata. It was delish, a great way to end a nine-day gastronomic dream, though the one in Rome remains the best. It was accompanied by salad and a delicious garlic bread, which isn't really common here (so stop thinking Olive Garden with soup, salad, and breadsticks.)
A lovely ending to nine days of food heaven. - My Last Dessert: tiramisu and strachiatella gelato. This was the real deal, too. A great end to my gelato fest and to all things Italian food.
 |
| What a way to end my dessert fest. |
Conclusions:
- We left the next day, which was Easter Sunday. I would've loved to attend Easter service at the Duomo, but I had a flight to catch.
- The sun came out, which was lovely since it was Resurrection Sunday; I would've loved to explore Milan in that type of weather but, again, flight. to. catch.
- Milan was nice. I don't think it's anything to rave over. It could've been any city anywhere; its only distinguishing features, that I saw/know of, are the Duomo and "The Last Supper." One day there was enough for me.
Italian Impressions/Recap of 9 Fabulous Days:
- You get the most bang for your buck food-wise in Rome. It's easier to find authentic cuisine there.
- Venice is the runner-up.
- The best pastries, by far, were found in Florence.
- The best shopping--when you can't afford Milan's over-priced high fashion--is in Venice.
- Try to buy tickets for tourist attractions beforehand. It saves time.
- I have a new found obsession with Italian cuisine. Like...it's an obsession.
- Italian food is not Olive Garden food. That's like considering McDonald's a fine dining experience.
- It's best to check hotel locations and prices thoroughly to avoid staying in Heehaw Italy and/or paying an extra fee because of an oversight.
- Public transportation is kinda free, in that no one pays to board or checks to see that passengers have tickets. It's kind of fabulous. We definitely saved money by not paying for it.
- Learning basic Italian phrases helps, though people spoke way better English than they do in Spain, so it was pretty easy to navigate the country using my native tongue.
- Italy is cold in March, but that's Europe.
- If you ever visit the country, try to find a good mom and pop restaurant that sells huge portions of food for cheap prices.
- The stereotypical image of pizza and pasta is very true. You can eat both for cheap anywhere. Add a glass of wine to it, and you get a really authentic feel.
It almost wouldn't be a real European meal without
a glass of vino.
The entire trip was amazing. The phenomenal far outweighed the minor annoyances and glitches. After those nine days, I've decided that I have to learn to cook Italian food; it was that good. Simply put, Italy did me right.
The next time I'm back there, I'm starting in Florence and working my way down to Sicily!
No comments:
Post a Comment